Lin Xia was thoroughly stunned by his own thought. He shook his head hard, trying to fling that absurd idea out of his mind.
Just then—
"Clang!!!"
A massive, piercing clash of metal suddenly rang out from the direction of the front courtyard, followed immediately by several furious, startled shouts.
"Stop them!"
"This is going too far!"
The noise—shouting, hurried footsteps, and faint ripples of energy collisions—instantly shattered the calm and peaceful afternoon atmosphere of the back courtyard.
The strange look on Lin Xia's face vanished at once. His brows knitted tightly, and his gaze sharpened.
Something had happened!
Without hesitation, Lin Xia stood up and quickly glanced at Larvitar, who was still on the stone table gnawing determinedly at the last bit of Purple Lightning Iron, seemingly oblivious to the chaos outside.
"Larvitar! Stop eating! Something's wrong!"
Lin Xia barked in a low voice, his tone urgent and unquestionable.
The moment he finished speaking, Lin Xia sprang into motion. Like an arrow loosed from a bow, he rushed toward the source of the commotion in the front courtyard without the slightest hesitation.
Alarm bells rang wildly in his mind.
Who would dare cause trouble like this in Gengxin City—at the headquarters of the Blacksmith Association no less?
This was no ordinary dispute!
Just as Lin Xia was about to reach the front courtyard, his path was blocked by Lou Gao, who was coming down from upstairs.
"Teacher, what exactly is happening up front?"
Lin Xia's heart tightened as he instinctively looked at Lou Gao.
The usually bold and open expression on Lou Gao's face was now dark, like heavy storm clouds gathering before a tempest.
His tall frame paused slightly, sharp eyes piercing through the courtyard toward the source of the disturbance. His thick brows were drawn tightly together.
"Xia, take Larvitar and go back to the rear courtyard. Stay there. Do not come out."
Lin Xia froze mid-step.
He clearly saw the gravity in his teacher's eyes and even… a trace of suppressed fury.
Lin Xia was just about to speak, either to ask what was going on or to insist on facing it together. But Lou Gao seemed to read his thoughts. Beneath those furrowed brows, a fleeting hint of approval flashed in his eyes.
This child wasn't retreating. He truly regarded the Association as his home.
"Listen to me!"
Lou Gao's voice grew heavier, carrying the unmistakable authority of an elder.
"This is the Blacksmith Association's business. Your teacher is here—the sky won't fall. Go back. Read your books, or keep Larvitar company while it eats some ore. Don't worry about anything!"
After saying this, Lou Gao gave Lin Xia no chance to argue. With a sharp flick of his sleeve, he strode decisively toward the front courtyard.
His departing figure was as steady as a mountain, yet it carried the oppressive weight of restrained rage on the verge of eruption.
Watching Lou Gao leave so resolutely, Lin Xia's heart sank.
His teacher had never spoken to him in such a grave, almost dismissive tone before.
What had happened in the front courtyard?
"Don't worry"?
That clearly meant: This is serious—stay out of it.
"Teacher…"
Lin Xia murmured, unease churning violently in his chest.
He looked down at Larvitar in his arms. The little Pokémon had just let out a full, crackling belch laced with sparks. Though clueless about the situation, it instinctively sensed its trainer's emotions and quieted down.
Lin Xia's gaze hardened.
"No. I have to see for myself. Even if I hide, I can't just bury my head in the sand!"
A decision was made instantly.
Instead of heading straight to the main hall in the front courtyard, Lin Xia carried Larvitar and used his familiarity with the Association's layout to circle around to a concealed staircase leading to the second-floor corridor of the hall.
The vantage point there was excellent—it offered a clear view of the hall below, while pillars and shadows provided ample cover from detection.
The moment Lin Xia concealed himself in the corridor's shadows and looked down, his pupils shrank sharply.
The atmosphere in the hall was extremely tense.
Guards of the Blacksmith Association and several high-ranking blacksmiths stood on both sides, their faces ashen, fists clenched tightly as they glared at the uninvited guests in the center.
Among the leading figures was none other than the Martial Soul Hall executive elder who had once tried to recruit him—Charlotte.
However, at this moment, Charlotte was standing slightly behind a man clad in an ornate crimson robe.
The man was of average height, his face round with the softness of long indulgence, yet his eyes were exceptionally sharp and sinister. A faint, uncomfortable smile hung at the corners of his mouth.
On his chest gleamed the emblem symbolizing the rank of a Martial Soul Hall Bishop, shimmering under the torchlight and exuding an invisible pressure.
Meyers!
The Bishop of the Gengxin City Martial Soul Temple!
The greedy, lecherous Meyers from the original story—the one who ultimately brought death upon himself at Tang San's hands!
Lin Xia's heartbeat skipped violently. A chill shot from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head.
Fragments of the original plot flooded his mind like icy waves—nighttime assassination, staged theft, implicating the Blacksmith Association, and Lou Gao throwing himself into the furnace…
Below, Lou Gao had already stepped to the front of the Association members, standing several meters away from Meyers in confrontation.
There was no fear on his weathered face—only rage compressed to its absolute limit, burning fiercely. His voice boomed like muffled thunder throughout the hall.
"Meyers! What do you mean by this?! You bring your people to trespass into my Blacksmith Association and injure my guards?! Do you think my Blacksmith Association is made of clay, to be kneaded and trampled by your Martial Soul Hall at will?!"
The fake smile on Bishop Meyers face faded slightly, but the arrogance etched into his very bones remained untouched.
He leisurely brushed nonexistent dust from his crimson sleeves, speaking in a condescending tone.
"President Lou Gao, why be so angry? This bishop merely heard that your Association encountered something unusual underground today—something… rather extraordinary."
"Out of duty to ease Her Majesty the Pope's concerns and ensure local stability, I came to understand the situation. After all, we must prevent dangerous items from circulating among civilians—or worse, being coveted by ill-intentioned individuals who might bring disaster to Gengxin City."
The moment these words fell, an uproar erupted among the Blacksmith Association members!
This was naked extortion!
A righteous banner masking blatant robbery!
Lou Gao was so enraged that his beard and hair bristled. Veins bulged at his temples as his fists clenched with loud cracking sounds. His powerful soul power spilled out uncontrollably, making the surrounding air thick and oppressive.
"Bullshit! What belongs to the Blacksmith Association is not for you to appraise or 'safekeep'! You want it? Then you'll have to step over my corpse first!"
The temperature in the hall plunged instantly to freezing point.
The fake smile on Meyers' face vanished completely, replaced by a cold, dangerous glint in his eyes. The aura of a high-level soul master rose faintly from his body, colliding head-on with Lou Gao's presence and producing invisible crackling sounds in the air.
Behind Meyers, the Martial Soul Hall executives tightened their grips on their weapons, soul rings flickering in and out of view.
The conflict was on the verge of exploding!
Hidden in the shadows of the upper corridor, Lin Xia's heart pounded violently, his palms drenched in cold sweat.
Watching the scene below—so tense it was practically ready to spill blood and recalling the tragic ending from the original story, a powerful thought struck his chaotic mind like a bolt of lightning.
No! It cannot go that far!
Meyers must die but not now, and not here, and not through an "accident" at this time and place!
Moreover, the conflict between the Blacksmith Association and the Martial Soul Hall could clearly be talked through. Peaceful coexistence was not impossible!
In the original story, the bloodshed largely stemmed from Lou Gao's loyalty to Tai Tan, Meyers' greed, and Tang San's so-called "swift vengeance."
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